John w



(No Model.)

J. W. BYRAM.

ELEVATOR SAFETY GATGH.

kl kvmlmmmmm HEERE Patented May 12, 1891.

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'Lum' lzo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN \V. BYRAM, OF VASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ELEvAToR SAFETY-CATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,096, dated May 12,1891.

Application filed February 3, 1891. Serial No. 380,085. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN IV. BYRAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a newand useful Elevator Safety- Oatch, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in safety-catches for passenger andfreight elevators, dumb-waiters, dac.; and the objects in View are toprovide a cheap and simple -attachment for elevators, whereby in casethe elevator-rope should break the safety-catches are distendedautomatically to engage with the rack-bars at the sides of the elevatorcar or platform.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in thev claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of an elevatorconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation.Fig. 3 is a bottom plan. Fig. 4: is a vertical transverse section.

Like nu'merals indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates the opposite standards, and 2 the usual toothed rack orguide bars, the same being of the usual construction. 3 designates theelevatorcar or platform, and 5 the elevator chain, adapted, as usual,for connection with the elevator cable or rope.

To the tup of the car is secured the transversely-disposed draft bar orbeam 6, having an eye 7 at its center, to which is secured the lower endof the elevator-rope. A transverse bolster 9 is also mounted upon thecar in rear of the center thereof, and has fulcrumed thereon a lever 10.Keepers 11 are secured to -the rear side of the car in verticalalignment, and in the same is mounted slidably a vertical L-shapedgravity-bar 12, the upper end of which is pivoted, as at 13, in the rearbifurcated end of the lever 10, which latter, it will be observed, isfulcrumed in front of its center.

Secured to the under side of the car are opposite pairs of L-shapeddepending brackets 14, the inner ones of which are provided withopenings and the outer ones of which are provided with slots. In each ofthe-openings aud extending into the companion slot is mounted a safetylever or catch 15, the outer ends of each of which is beveled andadapted to engage, when in a horizontal position, with the teeth of therack bars or guides. The openings of the inner brackets serve asfulcrums for these catches, and the inner ends of the .same are cut awayto pass each other, as shown at 16, and are pivotally connected toeachother, as at 17, and to the front end of the L-shaped gravity-bar,which latter is provided with a recess for receiving the same.

To the inner end of the lever 10 is connected one end of the short chainor rope 18, said rope being passed under the loose pulley 19, mounted insuitable brackets upon the top of the car, and the upper end of saidrope 18 secured to the elevating rope or chain. It

will be obvious that the lever 10 being fulcrumed at one side of itscenter, together with the L-shaped bar, serves to depress the inner endsof the catches, and consequently to spread or distend the outer endsthereof, whereby they automatically engage with the teeth of therack-bar. Such depression, however, is normally prevented by means ofthe short chain or cord 1S just described, in that the latter, beingsecured to theelevating-rope, is strained or kept taut as long as saidrope is, and the latter supports the weight of the elevator, and henceserves to draw the inner end of the lever 10 downwardly, thus elevatingthe L-shaped gravity-bar and the inner ends of the catches and normallyretaining them from engagement with the rack-bars. If, however, byaccident the elevator rope kor chain should break, the L-shapedgravitybar drops by its own weight and depresses the inner ends of thecatches, thus forcing the outer ends into immediate contact andengagement with the rack-bars.

It will be observed that the construction of the safety device is verysimple and can be applied to elevators, dumb-waiters, &c., at a trivialcost; also, that its action is positive and automatic and simplyrequires the parting of the elevator-rope or any slackening of the sameto set the device in operation.

In applying the device to dumb-waiters the IOO saine may be constructedof wood to effect a saving and cost; but in passenger and freightelevators, where considerable strength is required, it is of courseformed of nietal.

Having described my invention, what I claim is The combination, with theopposite ratchetfaced guide-bars and the elevator-car, of a lever l0,pivoted on the car at the top, an L- shaped gravity-bar l2, looselyconnected at its upper end to the outer end of the lever and passingdown along one side of the car to the bottom and extending part wayacross the latter, brackets located under the car, safety-catches l5,fulcrnmed in the brackets and at their inner ends pivoted to the lowerend of the gravity-bar, the elevator-rope connected to the top of thecar, a pulley located upon the ear, and a short rope or chain connectedto the inner end of the lever 10, passed under the pulley, and connectedto the elevator-rope, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOI IN W. BYRAM. lVitnesses:

J. W. Soenns, J. A. SAUL.

